20 TWENTY-FIFTH AXNUAI. REUNION SEVENTY-THIRD 



REMINISCENCE 

Additional RemiiHseeiioe Along the Line of that Shown in 1910 3IiuHtes. 



An official communication received from the Adjutant General of 
Massacliusetts dated March 16, 1911, shows there were eleven Taylors 
in 2d Mass. Cav.; three in Co. G; tiOD in Co. H; oiie in Co. I; tic;) \a 
Co. L; tiro, Archibald and George, in Co. M, and one unassigned. In 
the cases of all these, except the two in Co. M, the date of enlistment, 
discharge or transfer precludes the probability of either of them 
having been the one "Left Alone" the night of February 26, 1864. The 
place of enlistment — Dutch Flat, California, — as well as the given 
name, Archibald, places one of the Taylors in Co. M in about the 
sam.e category with all others of the list except George Taylor, who, 
having enlisted at San Francisco, California, and the possible con- 
tingency that his full name was Robert George Taylor, renders it 
.lot improbable that he might have been the Taylor represented in 
"Left Alone." 

But an official comunication received from the Adjutant General, 
V S. A., dated March 10, 1911, after stating that "The personal descrip- 
tion of George Taylor, Company M, 2d Mass. Cavalry, cannot be fur- 
nished as requested," goes on to say that "The personal description 
of this soldier in no wise agrees with the personal description of 
Robert G. Taylor given in the reminiscence heretofore submitted." 
The description given being that appearing at the bottom of page 30 
thereof, and at most was only meant to be an approximate estimate as to 
height and weight, and otherwise was given in the common, ordinary 
words in every day use; no medical or technical words or terms 
such as an army surgeon might use were employed. 

Then, besides being a year older, the soldier had suffered the 
effects of an aggravated form or type of small-pox after the surgeon's 
examination, and some change in his appearance may have been 
wrought; his complexion, color of eyes, color and condition of hair, 
u'ight have been in a degree affected. Often, two or more persons in 
describing another, might differ, vary considerably in their descriptions 
as to terms and words, and their meaning still be practically the same, 
nearly equivalent. In a case such as this proves to be, there might 
have existed a motive or a necessity, even, to avail of a disguise in 
Jippearance, or of dropping part of a given name at time of enlistment, 
or adding thereto later on for sufficient reason. 

In a letter dated January 29, 1911, received from Sergt. Wm. H. 
Lawrence, of Los Gatos, California, it is stated that he saw George 
Taylor die at Savannah, Georgia, but the official record in the office 
of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts shows that Archibald Taylor 
died September 18, 1864, at Savannah, and accounts for George Taylor 



Zj /V'ot) I 



REGIMENT ILLINOIS VOLUNTEEP. INFANTRY. 21 

in another way. Though Sergt. Lawrence was a member of same 
Company with both Archibald and George Taylor, he failed to give 
their names in his book setting forth a year's experience as a prisoner, 
which book is entitled "Prison Pen and Swamp", but f/;r.s- mentiDn the 
death as stated, and in connection therewith the number, twenty odd in 
all, of members of 2d Masachusetts Cavalry who died as prisoners 
of war. 

On learning the disagreement of the official record with statement 
of Sergt. Lawrence as to death of George Taylor, I wrote the Sergeant, 
calling his attention to it, but I have not heard from him, though 
there has been ample time in which to have received his explanation 
had he chosen to make one. He seems to manifest the same disin- 
clination to advise further in this matter as was exhibited by Fisher 
£nd the postmaster of Milroy, Indiana. The Adjutant General, U. S. A., 
seems also to be non-communicative on the same subject, as may 
appear from his reply to my latest as well as /f/.s/ request for addi- 
tional information. Considering the last sentence of my request was 
in these words, viz.: "Do not see that any other than Archibald or 
George Taylor could have been the man we left," the reply as shown 
below is not only remarkable, but conclusive as to the overworked 
condition of his subordinates. As it also suits my purpose just as 
well as a reply an extended search would have enabled him to 
make, I shall not complain. The response to my request endorsed on 
the back thereof and returned to me is as follows, viz.: 

"War Department, The Adjutant General's Office, Washirgton, 
April 13, 1911. 

"Respectfully returned to Mr. William H. Newlin, 925 West 
Washington Street, Springfield, Illinois. 

"Owing to the limited clerical force allowed by law and the 
pressure of other current business, this Department cannot undertake 
to make such an extended search of the records as would be necessary 
to enable it to comply with the request made within. 

"F. C. AINSWORTH, 

"The Adjutant General." 

According to letter dated May 8, 1910, received from Capt. Howe, D. 
C. Van Fleet returned to his Company, the same to which Archibald and 
George Taylor belonged, and remained with it until end of the war. As 
to whether Taylor and Vaii Fleet were captured or not, Captains 
Howe and Norcross disagree. As Norcross was taken prisoner at 
Ashby's Gap and held till the war closed, it is likely Howe was more 
correctly advised. Howe was likewise a prisoner but not taken till 
fall of 1864. If, as reported, Van Fleet escaped prison, it may only 
signify that he was never caught and held by the enemy. This theory 
is not only in harmony -with the record as to George Taylor, but shows 
that if the latter had returned early as Van Fleet did to his company 
he would not have been reported as a deserter, allowing they ioo); 
leave of absence from the company at the same time, which does not 
appear certain. 



22 TWENTV-FIFTH ANNUAI. REUNION SEVENTY-THIRD 

^ It also affords suggestion that George Taylor may have scouted 

^ for Lee and Stonewall Jackson. If Sergeant Lawrence is in error as 
^ to which Taylor he saw die at Savannah, might he not also have been 
^ mistaken as to which one claimed to have a wife and two little girls 
^ in Massachusetts? Archibald Taylor was probably a long time resi- 
le dent of California, while George Taylor was not unless he was not 
^ identically the same person as Robert G. Taylor. In the event of 
\ George and Robt. G. Taylor being one and the same person, there 
^ is a bare chance that a wife and two little girls lately arrived from 
England were awaiting him in Massachusetts and furnished a strong 
inducement to join the 2d Massachusetts Cavalry as a means to an 
end, a visit perchance to his wife and daughters, which visit might 
explain his early and prolonged absence from his company. 

I will not farther speculate, but adhere to my decision based 
mainly on the concurring statements of Col. C. Mason Kinne and 
Captain Wesley C. Howe, both of same regiment, the latter of same 
company from which George Taylor took leave so early that Colonel 
Kinne states, "he never saw any service in our regiment," but accord- 
ing to same statement was , with the regiment on board the Steamer 
Constitution on the voyage March 21st to April 14th, 1863 from San 
T'rancisco around to New York; then with it for a few days later en- 
route to Readville, Massachusetts; still later, early in May, 1863, was 
leported as a deserter, the place of so reporting being the camp at 
East Capitol Hill near the city of Washington. In this case I have 
no other data than that appearing or mentioned herein and in "Narra- 
tive of Prison Escape". 

W. H. NEWLIN, 
925 W. Washington St., Springfield, 111. 

SOME SECRET SERVICE. 

Solution of enigma suggests experience of six federal soldiers in 
the Civil War, February and March, 1864, viz.: "Twenty odd nights' 
travel on foot to get away from prison." Nine words containing 22 
letters, 2 of which are repeated thrice, 1 twice and 4 once, appear in 
the result correctly shown. 

Names in alphabetical order of refugees starting on the trip. Mem- 
ber of "Califoruia 100" with party one week only. His case l)ol)s 
up in connection with mystery, "Left Alone." Member of 15th U. S. 
with party two weeks. 

(1) 20 4 21 18 33 8. 7?d Ills. Infty. Vol. 

(2) 11 29 17 1 6. 4lh Mich. Cav. Vol. 

(3) 11 24 1 6 10 27 12 2 8 30. (Wild Bill.) IGth U. S. Regular Infty. 

(4) 1 7 23 12 19 27. "California 100." 2d Mass. Cav. Vol. 

(5) 1 27 33 25 25. lE-th U. S. Regular Infty. 

(6) 21 28 19 30. 2Gth Ohio Infty. Vol. 
Nos. 1 and 2 surviving to date, September, 1911. 

Nos. 3, 5 and 6 known dead, 1906, 1903, and 1864, respectively. 



REGIMENT ILLINOIS VOLI'NTEER INFANTRY. 



23 



What I would now like to have touching formulation of scheme 
to elude guards and meet at point agreed on is 

26 24 18 12 27 4 25 19 27 1 15 23 11 1 34 8 28 14 27 7 25 6 10 27 

I 6 33 8 3 18 28 8 14 6 22 8 30 9 19 25 23 19 23 22 12 18 21 4 

II 22 17 30 21 19 24 18 30 20 28 1 15 10 12 22 9 3 31 8 14 17 8 
31 20 1 34 27 4 11 1 10 32 17 1 29 2 30 33 15 23 1 21 28 11 
33 18 12 11 & 29 31 9 6 12 4 7 30 17 20 14 19 6 33 28 12 2 11 1 
19 26 26 22 8 32 17 28 24 11 11 34 22 1 28 6 33 19 26 4 1 9 6 34 30 
24 25 16 13 27 4 16 27. 

Not long after excitement occasioned by near proximity to guards 
had in a measure subsided 

21 13 27 7 20 28 8 1 19 22 8 28 1 

14 24 7 27 30 11 5 27 17 1 31 9 22 
26 19 33 18 34 30 7 1 26 10 27 27 23 

15 23 28 6 17 28. 

Having used each of the 22 letters 3 times and up we leave some- 
thing to be figured out and will end this mixed method of 

26 17 32 31 8 14 16 1 1 13 8 1 33 28 20 15 23 22 11 11 34 27 1 
17 20 14 1 6 16 1 21 4 30 17 30 20 28 1 6 34 22 27 28 26 
Andersonville 25 27 31 11 19 8 24 8 1 33 12 20 17 14 6 1 21 4 
11 1 27 24 9 3 1 6 13 18 31 20 4 11 15 24 1 19 24 27 25 12 7 20 
21 28 24 18 30 27 10 29 2 17 20 4 30 16 10 11 2 29 4 19 8 18 23 
29 19 24 4 11 28 6 2 30 21 34 6 13 22 27 30 19 26 17 1. 



6 13 27 11 4 1 28 26 
12 25 2 27 1 19 26 
21 2 11 15 28 27 20 34 




LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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